Huntsville gazette., 1887-06-25
A LIFE WRECKED.

Bright and Promising Career Blasted
by the Evil Effects of Wild Speculation
and All that Follows in It's Train-A
Bridegroom Elect, n Would-I3e Suicide
and a Raving Maniac.
GLENvIEw, Pa, June 2l.-A week age
Walter Wade, bold, dashing stock
and provision speculator, cams hom
from California to fulfill a promise Of
marriage with Miss Fanny Eckert, which
was to take place at noon on Thursday
The most elaborate preparations had
been made and the relatives and friends
of the young lady waited with every emo
ton Of pleasure for tn, happy event. But
Wade's recent ill luck in the speculative
field drove him to despair, and rather than
face the disappointment which would in
evitably follow he attempted suicide on
Wednesday, and now lies hopelessly in
! sane at the home of his parents some dis
tance from this place. Walter is the only
son of j. Werner Wade, who soon after
his marriage fell heir to a large fortune.
After the young man had completed
his collegiate studies and gradu-
ated with high honors he decided to take
| a trip to California before settling down,
and so informed his parents. They en-
treated him to remain at home, but all to
no purpose. Appealing to his father, he
said: LOAN me 81 900 and will return
it with interest" His father immediate.
| ly filled out a check for the amount
and handed it to him. The next
day, after spending an hour with his
intended bride, he started for California
in pursuit Of fame and fortune. Four
years afterward his family and friends
were surprised to see him arrive home.
He entered his fathers house as though
his absence had been but day, drew up
chair to where his father sat- and TAX
ing from well-filled pocket book 81, 240,
he handed the moley to his father, say
ing: Here is the borrowed money with
six per cent. interest"
This was all so rapidly done that Mr..
Wade had hardly time to realize who it
was and what it meant. Then he related
to his parents how he had met with
phenomenal success, and by shrewd and
conservative speculation had amassed
| over $1,0000 900. After few days stay,
| during which time he renewed his
| pledges of love to Miss Eckert, who in the
four years of waiting never doubted
his sincerity, he departed again. Letter
after letter was received by her. in
which he boasted Of his continued sue
cess, and said that he was now perfecting
| arrangements to come home to remain.
The wedding was, therefore, fixed for
June l6 But his character was too weak
to resist the social temptations that now
beset him. An irresistible fondness for
wine and champagne suppers took pos
session of him, which was soon followed
by every form Of wild and reckless
! dissipation. Then luck turned
against him and he began to lose
money until his fortune was nearly all
sol ,y-,f f6n
dashing speculator returned home. His
general appearance was detected, and by
| the aid of stimulant he managed to as
sumo his old spirits In this way the sus-
piclon that might otherwise have been ex-
cited was overcome. On Wednesday after
noon he remarked to his father that he
desired to write some business letters and
| for that purpose he retired to his room,
| giving instructions that his privacy
must not be Interrupted. Every thing in
the way Of preparation for the wedding
| next day had reached point OF complete
ness, and at five O'Clock a friend OF the
groom called to see him. AS the matter
was urgent, his father went up stairs
and called him. He repeated the call and,
receiving no answer, forced the door
open To his horror he beheld his son
suspended from halter or halter-strap
with the end knotted around the top oil
| the bed-post, almost dead from strangula.
tion.
| He quickly cut the strap and placed the
body on the bed, and then quietly, but
| quickly, summoned physician. The
doctor says another minute would have
produced death, and that while he might
| possibly survive he would be hopelessly
insane. The business letters which he
N
Eckert and his parents. They told of his
dissipation and his losses at gambling
and his complete ruin. He says n his
letter to the young lady:
"For many months / have had con-
slant run Of ill luck. The ardor of gam
bling, unlike every other passion, is
| rather increased than diminished by loss
and disappointment. Without being
warned, therefore, by i'll success, still
went on until the very last dollar Of my
money was gone. l then began to draw
gradually on the $4,000 you placed in my
hands for safe-keeping until the day OF
our marriage, in small amounts. Follow
ing the bent Of my evil genius, sum after
sum was taken, and all alike buried in
that accursed vortex which had already
swallowed up so much for me-"
| To his father he says: Eighteen
months ago attached my name to pa
per, the prospectus Of which was profit
able land scheme. 1t originated with
sharpers, and l was victimized. Periodi
cal sprees were indulged in, and, with
hope of retrieving some of my losses, ]
came East for change. was persist
ent bull on the stock market and lost
heavily last December. / thereafter in
vested heavily in pork and wheat, and
was completely swamped."
Immediately after the occurrence the
house was closed and Miss Eckert and a
few friends were quietly notified. Miss
Eckert was completely prostrated. For
a few hours yesterday she sat by the bed
side Of her lover and listened to his raw
ings over the stock and provision mar
kets. Wade is thirty five years old.
Maxwell Must Hang-Other Decisions.
| JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, June 2o.-Judge